Needle holder for the sound boxes of talking machines



Dec. 23, 1930. J. EIGENHEER 32 NEEDLE HOLDER FOR THE SOUND BOXES OFTALKING MACHINES Filed April 13. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 23, 1930. J.EIGENHEER NEEDLE HOLDER FOR THE SOUND BOXES OF TALKING MACHINES 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13. 1927 g I; E

Patented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES JAKOB nrennrrnnn, orv VOGELSANG,NEAR Tuner, SWITZERLAND NEEDLE HOLDER FOR THE SOUND BOXES 0F TALKINGMACHINES Application filed April 13,1927, Serial No. 183,500, and inGermany May 17, 1926.

for feeding forward the stylus wire and a.

spring loaded disc for pressing the stylus Wire against the feed roller.The new needle 1 holder differs in this from the known stylus needleholders which are provided with feed rollers for gripping the styluswire which travels in small guiding tubes or are provided with jaws forclamping the stylus wire in the outlet groove, that the stylus wire isheldin a V-shaped groove in the feed roller for securing it againstslipping back at three gripping points and that it can be moved forwardand backward by means of the feed roller. The stylus wire projectsbetween opposed points of support, the object of which is to straightenit into an outlet grooveleading through the vibrating point of theneedle casing. For transmitting the stylus vibrations to the needlecasing in as perfect a manner as possible, the stylus wire is firmlyheld in the said groove by the weight of the sound box carrying theneedle casing and by the resistance of the record acting on the point ofthe stylus wire- In the accompanying drawings, two constructionalexamples of the invention are shown, 7 I

Fig. 1 being a side elevation of one constructional form,

Fig. 2 a front view of Fig. 1, partly broken away, c

Fig. 3 a vertical transverse section of the second constructional form,

Fig. 4 a plan view of Fig-3,

Fig. 5 a vertical section through the second form, a

Figs. 6 and 7 enlarged view-s from below of the vibrating point of theneedle casing,

Figs. 8 and 9 two examples of a plate of feed rollers to an enlargedscale,

Fig. 10 a side elevation showing the needle holder in the operatingposition, 7

Fig. 11 a view of the feed roller with the securing spring,

Fig. 12 a detail view of the spring,

Figs. 13 and 14 views, of the completely and partly developed needlecasing,

Fig. 15 a side view of Fig. 14,

- Fig. 16 a plan view of Fig. 13, and,

Fig. 1'7 a plan view of Fig. 14. The new needle holder comprises aneedlecasing 1 produced by stamping and bending from sheet steel and renderedcapable of vibrating by being tempered. The casing 1 has an opening 23through which the stylus wire extends.

In theneedle casing a roller 3 is journalled, in which is a V-shapedgroove 5' (Figs. 8, 9 and 11). The groove 5 has an acute angle and may,for instance, be rolled in by means of a roller having a correspondingprofile. The groove 5 which may have a roughened surface is of suchdimensions that the stylus wire 11 rests against its sides. The roller 3is provided with a knurled head 4. The sides of the V-shaped groove '5are preferably made so steep that the relatively small pressure of adisc 6 bearing against the styluswire will sufliciently olampthe wirel1. The journals 7 of the disc 6 run in recesses 8 in the casing, thedisc being pressed by two resilient tongues 9 against the styluswire'11, so that the latter is held firmly in the groove 5 between threeclamping points and is there by secured against being pushed back. The

stylus-wire 11 can be advanced or withdrawn by turning the roller 3,causing the disc 6 to turn as well. The disc can either engage in thegroove 5, as shown in Fig. 8, or can press against the stylus wire abovethe groove 5, as shown in Fig. 9. The resilient tongues 9 bearingagainst the journals 7 of the disc 6 are fixed to the casing 1 by meansof a screw In the first constructional form of needle h'older shown, thestylus-wire 11 is wound around the roller 3 between the knurled head 4and the casing 1 (Figs. 1 and 2), but may be wound on an extension ofthe roller 3, as 0 shown in the. second constructional form (Figs. 3, 4and 5).

In the latter case the stylus wire 11 wound on the extension oftheroller 3 is covered by a casing 20.

The stylus-wire passes from the feed roller 3 between two oppositelylocated points of support formed by the tongue 18 and the screw 17 intoan outlet groove 12 provided in the vibrating point 13, 1d of the needlecasing. Between said tongue and screw 17, 18 the stylus-wire isstraightened, being held rigidly in the groove 12 by the weight of thesound box which carries the needle casing and the resistance of therecord acting on the point of the stylus wire. Through the stylus wirebeing held firmly in this manner as per feet a transmission of thetone-vibrations as possible to the needle casing and through it to thesound box bearing the casing is assured.

According to Fig. 6 the groove 12 is in the extension 1 1 of the pointof the casing. One lateral surface of the groove 12 is inclined thusforming an acute angle for firmly holding the stylus wire forced intoit. In Fig. 10 the arrow 5 indicates the direction or mo tion oi therecord and the arrow at the direction of pressure of the second box.

In the constructional iorm shown in Fig. 7 the stylus-wire 11 is held intwo grooves 12 provided in the two extensions 18, M. of the point of theneedle casing. The extensions 13, 1 1 in each case form parts of thecasing 1 which is stamped out of a single piece.

In the constructional form shown in Fig. 3, the stamped point 13, 14 isreduced by milling and thereby made capable of vibrating more easily.

The casing 1 both in the first and in the second constructional form isfixed to the sound box in a known manner by means of an arm 15 which isintegral with the casing.

For preventing the stylus wire 11 being withdrawn too far in the groove12 a safety spring 16 is provided. This spring allows of the stylus wire11 being fed forward to any desired extent and of the stylus wire beingwithdrawn within certain limits. Owing to the possibility of varying thelength of the stylus wire point, the records can be played with varyingdegrees of tone strength. In no case however can the stylus wire 11 bewithdrawn to such an extent that it would leave the groove 12.

The safety spring 16 is wound round the roller 3 so as to fit closely toit. The first convolution of the spring 16 is led away from the roller 3in an increasing spiral to the easing 1, having this end provided with acoil 16 through which a. screw 17 extends so that said end is fixed tothe casing by said screw, the other end of the spring being fixed to theroller 3. The stylus-wire 11 can be fed forward unhindered, as alreadystated, and can be withdrawn until the spring 16 bears against theroller 3. This withdrawal of the stylus-wire 11 is quite sufiicient forefiective- 1y varying the strength of tone. The screw 17 in addition tosecuring one end of the spring 16 also holds the parts of the casing 1firmly together, so that the two halves of the vibration extensions 13,14: are pressed against one another, which ensures an accuratetransmission of the vibrations.

.Vhen the extensions 13, 14 ot the casing have been pointed for reducingtheir mass, a ring 19 is preferably used for holding them together (Fig.3).

The stylus-wire 11 may be rolled up on a shackle 24 (Fig. 10) which maybe releasably attached to the sound box by means of a clamping screw 25.The stylus wire wound on the shackle 2 1 is introduced through theopening 23 into the casing 1.

What I wish to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is 1. A needle holder fora stylus wire for the sound boxes of talking machines comprising incombination a casing, a stylus wire arranged on said casing, a handoperated feed roller rotatably mounted in said casing, a spring loadeddisc for pressing the wire against the roller, said roller having avshaped groove to receive the wire, and said casing having on outletgroove for the wire.

2. A needle holder for a stylus wire for the sound boxes of talkingmachines comprising in combination a casing, a stylus wire arranged onsaid casing a hand operated teed roller rotatably mounted in saidcasing, a spring loaded disc for pressing the wire against the roller,and said casing having an outlet groove, means to automatically preventthe reverse movement of the wire, said means comprising a safety springformed of helical convolutions and wound closely on the feed roller, thefirst convolution bearing away from the surface of the feed roller saidconvolution allowing the roller to be turned in the reverse direction tothe feed direction within certain limits.

3. A. needle holder for a stylus wire for the sound boxes of talkingmachines comprising in combination a casing, a stylus wire arranged onsaid casing, a hand operated feed roller, rotatably mounted in saidcasing, a spring loaded disc for pressing the wire against the roller,the feed roller, adapted to receive the wire, an outlet groove in saidcasing having an outlet groove for the wire, and means arranged betweensaid feed roller and the outlet groove to straighten the wire.

4. A needle holder for a stylus wire for the sound boxes of talkingmachines comprising in combination, a casing, a stylus wire arranged onsaid casing, a hand operated feed roller, rotatably mounted in saidcasing, a spring loaded disc for pressing the wire against the roller,said roller having a V- shaped groove to receive the wire, said casinghaving an outlet groove for the wire, and means arranged between saidfeed roller and the out-let groove to straighten the wire, said meanscomprising a point of support projecting in the path of said wire.

5. A needle holder for a stylus wire for the sound boxes of talkingmachines comprising in combination a casing, a stylus wire arranged onsaid casing, a hand operated feed roller rotatably mounted in saidcasing, a spring loaded disc for pressing the wire against the roller,said roller having a V- shaped groove to receive the wire, said casinghaving an outlet groove, said outlet groove being wedge-shaped, to gripthe wire.

6. A needle holder for a stylus wire for the sound boxes of talkingmachines comprising in combination, a casing, a stylus wire arranged onsaid casing, a hand operated feed roller rotatably mounted in saidcasing a spring loaded disc for pressing the wire against the roller,said casing having an outlet groove for the wire, said needle casingcomprising a shank for fixing it to the sound box, and parts forstraightening the wire, each of such parts comprising a single piece ofsheet steel.

7. A needle holder for a stylus Wire for the sound boxes of talkingmachines comprising in combination, a casing, a stylus wire arranged onsaid casing, a hand operated feed roller rotatably mounted in saidcasing, a spring loaded disc for pressing the wire against the roller,said roller having V- shaped groove, adapted to receive the wire, saidcasing having an outlet groove and also having parts cut away forreducing its crosssectional area, to obtain maximum vibration frequency.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature J AKOB EIGENHEER.

